Geranium plant named ‘Balfancardim’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Balfancardim’, characterized by its upright and mounded growth habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green leaves with darker green zonation pattern; and dark red-colored semi-double flowers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geraniumplant, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Balfancardim’.

The new Geranium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breedingprogram was to develop new cultivars with freely-branching and vigorousgrowth habit, dark green-colored foliage, umiform flowering, andinteresting flower and foliage colors.

The new Geranium originated from a cross made by the Inventor of theproprietary Pelargonium×hortorum selection 8806-112 as the female, orseed, parent with the proprietary Pelargonium×hortorum selection 6494-26as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar ‘Balfancardim’ wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny from this cross in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande,Calif., in 1998.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atArroyo Grande, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this newGeranium are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Balfancardim’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Balfancardim’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright and mounded growth habit.

2. Freely basal branching habit.

3. Dark green leaves with darker green zonation pattern.

4. Dark red-colored semi-double flowers.

Plants of the new Geranium differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in flower color and flower form as plants of the parentselection have coral-colored single flowers. Plants of the new Geraniumdiffer primarily from plants of the male parent selection in foliagecolor as plants of the parent selection have medium green-coloredleaves.

The new Geranium can be compared to the cultivar ‘Tango’, disclosed inU.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,933. However, in side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Arroyo Grande, Calif., plants of the new Geranium differfrom plants of the cultivar ‘Tango’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Geranium have shorter internodes than plants of thecultivar ‘Tango’.

2. Plants of the new Geranium have shorter peduncles and pedicels thanplants of the cultivar ‘Tango’.

3. Plants of the new Geranium have larger leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Tango’.

4. Plants of the new Geranium have smaller flower umbels than plants ofthe cultivar ‘Tango’.

5. Flower color of the new Geranium is darker red than flower color ofthe cultivar ‘Tango’.

The new Geranium can be compared to the cultivar, ‘Tango Dark Red’, notpatented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in ArroyoGrande, Calif., plants of the new Geranium differ from plants of thecultivar ‘Tango Dark Red’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Geranium have longer peduncles than plants of thecultivar ‘Tango Dark Red’.

2. Plants of the new Geranium have larger leaves than plants of thecultivar ‘Tango Dark Red’.

3. Plants of the new Geranium have larger flowers than plants of thecultivar ‘Tango Dark Red’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photographcomprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘Balfancardim’. Flower and foliage colors in the photograph may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the new Geranium.

DEATILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar ‘Balfancardim’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations,measurements and comparisons describe plants grown 10-cm pots in WestChicago, Ill., under commercial practice in a polycarbonante-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures about 20 to 22° C., night temperaturesabout 18 to 20° C. and light levels about 2,500 to 3,000 foot-candles.Plants used for the photograph and description were about 8 to 10 weeksfrom planting rooted cuttings. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticulural Society Colour Chartexcept where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar ‘Balfancardim’.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Pelargonium×hortorum selection 8806-112.

Male parent.—Proprietary Pelargonium×hortorum selection 6494-26.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at 18° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 21 days at 18° C.

Root description.—Fibrous, freely branching.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Upright and mounded growth habit. Appropriate for10-cm and larger containers.

Crop time.—Starting with a rooted cutting, about 8 to 10 weeks arerequired to produced a finished flowering plant in 10-cm container.

Growth and branching habit.—Vigorous and freely basal branching withabout 6 lateral branches at the base. Pinchng, that is, removal ofterminal apices, is typically not required.

Plant height (to top of foliage).—About 10.5 cm.

Plant width.—About 19.7 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm.Color: 143C.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical, abundant,opposite. Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 14. Length: About5.4 cm. Width: About 9.1 cm. Shape: Reniform. Apex: Rounded. Base:Cordate. Margin: Crenate. Venation: Palmate. Texture: Smooth; slightlypubescent on upper surface and along veins of lower surface. Color:Young foliage, upper surface: 147A; zonation pattern, darker than 147Ain color and located on the outer half of the leaf. Young foliage, lowersurface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker than 147A;zonation pattern, much darker than 147A in color, about 2.5 cm in width,and located on the outer half of the leaf. Fully expanded foliage, lowersurface: 147A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole:Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Color: 146A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement and type.—Dark red-colored flowers arranged inhemispherical umbels arising from apical leaf axils. Umbels displayedabove the foliage. At full flowering, usually about 2 open umbels andabout 3 developing umbels per plant. Flowers semi-double and rounded inshape. Umbels persistent. Flowers not fragrant.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering is continuous from spring until fall.

Umbels.—Number of flowers per umbel: About 9. Diameter: About 7.4 cm.Height: About 5.1 cm. Flower diameter: About 4.3 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Shape:Spherical to ovoid. Color: Before showing color, 144A; when showingcolor, closest to 45B.

Petals/petaloids.—Quantity: About 6 petals and about 2 to 4 petaloidsper flower. Petaloids variable in size and shape. Arrangement:Imbricate. Petal length: Upper petals: About 2.6 cm. Lower petals: About2.4 cm. Petal width: Upper petals: About 1.8 cm. Lower peals: About 2.2cm. Petal shape: Obovate. Petal/petaloid apex: Rounded. Petal/petaloidbase: Attenuate. Petal/petaloid margin: Entire. Petal/petaloid texture:Smooth. Petal/petaloid color: Upper surface: 45B, venation towards baseof upper petals, 45A. Lower surface: Between 39A and 40A; venation onupper petals, 58A, venation on lower petals, 45B.

Sepals.—Quantity: About 5, not imbricate. Length: About 9 mm. Width:About 3 mm. Shape: Ensiform. Apex: Narrowly acute. Margin: Entire.Texture: Velvety. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Mostly 144A with 187Atowards base.

Peduncle (umbel stem).—Length: About 12.5 cm. Angle: Erect. Strength:Strong. Texture: Velvety. Color: 146A overlain with 187A.

Pedicel (individual flower stem).—Length: About 2.4 cm. Angle: Erect.Strength: Strong. Texture: Velvety. Color: 137A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Anther quantity: About 5. Antherlength: About 2 mm. Anther color: 70B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollencolor: 167A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm.Stigma shape: Five-parted, star-shaped. Stigma color: 53B. Style length:About 4 mm. Style color: 53A.

Seed.—Not observed.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Pelargonium hasnot been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named‘Balfancardim’, as herein illustrated and described.